Horner serious about Tour de France. No more Big Macs.

Tour of California winner Chris Horner is not riding the Tour de Suisse as preparation for that three week shindig they throw in France, the one with the stuffed lion.

In the past he has always ridden Suisse or the Dauphine to get ready for the Tour de France. The reason why is the part that interested us. Horner's number one priority is controlling his diet.

Now you would think at 39 years of age, that would be one thing Horner would have under firm control. Not the case. While he's capable of training hard enough at home to arrive in France ready to rock, the skill he lacks is staying away from fast food.

Just yesterday we spoke with Allen Lim and while the Radio Shack physiologist knows every number and marker and watt associated with Horner, he said the key is staying away from McDonalds.

"He has become so vigilant about his diet, about watching what he eats. That’s been a big transformation for him," said Lim. "He’s always had a reputation of being the Big Mac guy."

There you go. Lance Armstrong used to say he went into "elevated monk status" in the months before the Tour. Horner is now in ABM status -- Avoid Big Macs.

Horner is on record as attributing his success in California to losing ten pounds. That is total fast food avoidance, right there. His number one nightmare is losing control, driving to Burger King and super-sizing his meal and killing his Tour de France chances.

"You take someone that talented off his normally bad fast food diet and it shows you what diet and weight can do," says Lim. "At the Tour of California, he was lean and mean."

So no fast food until after the Tour de France. Horner says only Contador can drop him on the climbs and he's not letting a burger get in the way of the podium in Paris.